Seton Hall pays homage to patron Bill Eyres

11:23 PM,
Jan. 25, 2014

Written by

Jerry Carino sig

P.J. Carlesimo's voice cracked as he fought back tears. If it wasn't for Bill Eyres, he told a packed room of blue-clad fans at Don Pepe Restaurant Saturday afternoon, he might never have made it past those tough early years at Seton Hall.

"Later on, it became easy to be a Seton Hall supporter," Carlesimo said, barely able to get out the sentence. "When it was not easy, that's when Bill Eyres was always there."

The phrase "if it wasn't for Bill Eyres" comes up over and over again in Pirate lore. It starts in the late 1970s, as the Big East was being formed. Dave Gavitt wanted a New Jersey presence, ...